We had limited time since the kids only had a short break, but we still managed to pack in an awesome trip. Here was the plan!
We took a Thursday evening flight to San Francisco — about 5½ hours in the air, landing late Thursday night. With the three-hour time difference, it felt more like a 2½-hour flight, which helped a lot. After landing, we rented a car from AVIS, which required taking the airport AirTrain – blue line – (SFO AirTrain)— a short ride with a few stops that was smooth and pretty quick.
Pro tip: If you’re flying economy (like we did), don’t expect a meal — even though it’s a long flight, roughly the same travel time as flying to London.
Once we had the car, we headed straight to the hotel – a 25 minute drive. There are tons of hotel options in San Francisco, but we chose ours based on two things: Value and walking distance to shul for Shabbos. We found only one place offering Shabbos davening and meals — Chabad at ‘Knesset Israel Chabad – 873 Sutter st— and we booked both Friday night and Shabbos day meals there. That narrowed things down nicely – but we still had about 30 hotel options within a 10-minute walk.
We went with the Grand Hyatt, since Hyatt consistently gives great bang for the buck. We booked a standard room for 17,000 Hyatt points per night, which can be transferred from a Chase credit card via Ultimate Rewards. Since we needed space for the kids (and would otherwise need two rooms), we paid $230 per night to upgrade to a VIP suite. The suite was huge and came with two rollaway beds (not cots), a large seating area, a separate bedroom, and two bathrooms.
Take a one-minute look at our room and how the trip has gone so far:
All in, we got a massive suite for 17K points + $230 per night. In cash terms, the stay would have been a little over $3,000 for four nights. To get the $230 upgrade rate, you need to call the hotel directly — they handle it internally.
Pro tip: always ask the hotel to email you a confirmation so you have everything in writing.
Friday: Jelly Belly, Shwarma, shopping & more!
We were up around 7:00 AM (which was 10:00 AM East Coast time – or our internal wakeup time 🙂 and hit the road for a 45-minute drive to the Jelly Belly Factory. The tour was really cool — for all ages. You get to see from the manufacturing process to watching the candies get packed and loaded onto trucks. The tour is self guided and costs only $8 an adult & $4 per child. They are open from 9:15 AM to 4 PM daily and have guided tours 9:15 AM and 11:15 AM but we recommend self guided tours!
After the tour, you can shop for your favorite jelly belly candies – at decent prices and they generally have a section of on sale items where we got some epic deals on candies – so wildly cheap that we instantly “decided” to use them for shalach manos!
Welcome to Metziahs Travel! We are thrilled to unveil our new feature dedicated to showcasing cities that are perfect for Jewish families seeking kosher and practical travel options.
From vibrant neighborhoods to family-friendly activities, we’ll highlight destinations that cater to your needs while offering a rich cultural experience. Join us on this journey to discover the best places for your next family adventure!
Pro tip: Always double-check for a hechsher. Some products we saw in 2025 had an OU, but the same items in the 2026 batch did not. Bottom line: look carefully. The cool part is Most items are kosher even gummy candies! So we were pretty excited 🙂
Take a one-minute look at our Jelly Belly factory tour:
Last but not least, after shopping, we rode the cute Jelly Belly train – you saw in the video above – for a quick five-minute loop. It also stops at the Jelly Belly museum, which we skipped — not really our thing, sounded a little “geeky”.
After the 2 hour trip, we headed back to San Fransisco for lunch driving over the golden gate bridge – an iconic landmark – and went to Hummus Bodega – which is a fantastic fleishige restaurant with shwarma, falafel, and more!
Did you know? The bridge can sway up to 27 feet side-to-side in strong winds and expand or contract several feet with temperature changes.
Pro tip: Bring with patience — parking can be tough to find, so take your time and try to stay calm! After about 10 minutes of searching, we parked near a pump and monitored the situation from afar!
After lunch, we stopped by the iconic Victorian homes known as the Painted Ladies, while the kids got their energy out by rolling down the hill in the park across the street.
From there, we headed back toward the hotel and took a stroll past some luxury shops — window-shopping our way through high-end stores like Hermès, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, Rolex, and more. After that, it was back to the hotel to get ready for Shabbos.
Take a one-minute look at our Friday recap below:
Shabbos in San Fran
We had Kabbalas Shabbos & Maariv (no mincha) at Chabad at Knesset Israel Chabad – located at 873 Sutter st— where we booked both Friday night and Shabbos day meals.
Unbeknownst to us, Chabad was hosting its once-a-month Friday night singles dinner with well over 100 ‘eligible’ people mingling, complete with a beautiful outdoor bar setup – not geared for families. We set up a table, took some food, and headed out… On the walk back to the hotel, we sang a few Shabbos songs… Quite an experience!
Shabbos day featured a more traditional seated seudah, which was nice. The food was excellent, and the atmosphere made for a solid Shabbos experience. Afterward, we took a stroll through Chinatown — right near the hotel and the largest Chinatown outside of Asia — enjoying the authentic Chinese vibes. We knew we had to come back when cameras were permissible!
We made Havdala on beer from the hotel bar, and started planning our night.
Motzei Shabbos
After a solid Shabbos, we headed to Fisherman’s Wharf — the classic San Francisco tourist hot spot, buzzing with street performers, food stands, souvenir shops, and nonstop energy. It’s lively, loud, and super fun, the kind of place where something’s always happening!
The coolest part by far was how we got around — we took a Waymo, a fully driverless taxi, and it was absolutely epic. You book it through the app, pick your music and temperature before it even arrives, and then the car drives – Smooth, fast, and honestly mind-blowing!!
If it’s your first time using Waymo, there’s a nice little bonus: you can get $10 off your next ride. Just open the app, head to Account → Offers & Promotions, tap Enter a Code, and add DOVIYT7D before booking.
We stopped into a vintage-style arcade, grabbed some street balloons, and caught a fun magic show — and to our luck, one of us was randomly chosen to “help” the magician.
At the end of the night, we drove to pickup some Kosher food at a nearby Andronico’s at 1200 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122 – which surprisingly had a lot of kosher!
Take a one-minute look at our Motzei Shabbos recap below:
Sunday – Day 3 – Alcatrez, China Town, Trolleys & More!
Sunday was a full, packed day. We had prebooked tickets to Alcatraz, the famous (and infamous) former prison that’s now a national park. Tickets include a 10–15 minute ferry ride each way and an incredible self-guided audio tour on the island. It’s definitely worth booking a few weeks in advance to lock in your preferred time.
Tickets aren’t cheap — about $48 per adult, $30 per child, or a Family Pack (2 adults + 2 kids ages 5–11) for $139.60 — but the experience is absolutely worth it. The total visit takes about 2–3 hours, and the audio tour is hands-down one of the best we’ve ever done. It genuinely feels like walking through a live movie. Add in the unbelievable views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge from the island, and it’s really next level. (They have a former inmate there – for at least 12 years – since the last time we went – who signs copies of his books about his experience being at the jail.)
Protip: The captains of the ship are really friendly – ask them for a sneak peak tour of the boat!
After Alcatraz, we grabbed a Waymo and headed to Chinatown for lunch at Sabra Grill. The food was very good, and we spent some time walking around, checking out cool spots and picking up cute Chinese hats to bring home.
From there, it was time for one of the kids’ highlights of the trip — riding a San Francisco cable car/Trolley. They were beyond excited. We drove our car behind the trolley route, and once the rest of the crew hopped off, they jumped into the car and…
…we drove Lombard Street – the famously steep, insanely curvy street lined with beautiful homes.
Take a one-minute look at our Sunday recap below:
Monday morning – we headed back to the airport with our awesome memories and stories to share!
Random fact: SFO terminal 1 won an award for being the best overall terminal in the world – see our video of it below:
Parking:
Parking in San Fransisco is very expensive. Again – very expensive. Our hotel was $90 a night for valet – more than anywhere we have travelled. However, we recommend using spothero which got us parking about 300 feet from our hotel for about half price!
Safety:
San Francisco feels like a tale of two worlds. The city is surprisingly clean and incredibly beautiful, with stunning views, high-end hotels, and luxury shopping throughout. At the same time, there is a visible homeless population in many areas. We felt comfortable during the day, but we strongly recommend staying vigilant, and avoiding walking alone at night. There is one area called ‘Tenderloin’ which should be avoided – period.
Kosher Food
Beyond the two restaurants we visited, Sabra Grill & Hummus Bodega and the local grocery option, kosher choices in San Francisco are fairly limited. There is a kosher market in Oakland, about an hour away, and a few kosher spots in Palo Alto offering sushi, bagels, and more — also roughly an hour’s drive.
Conclusion
Our trip to San Francisco was short but packed with unforgettable experiences. The city is stunning, full of character, and surprisingly family-friendly. From iconic landmarks and vibrant neighborhoods to Shabbos in an unexpected place, every day felt different and exciting. San Francisco has a unique energy — a mix of history, innovation, and culture — and it made for an incredible long-weekend escape.
We just wrapped up an exciting trip to San Francisco, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on our recap! Comment below! What city should we explore next? Whether it’s a favorite destination or a hidden gem, your suggestions are invaluable to us! Please comment below! To reach our travel team, click HERE
Additionally, if you represent a business or organization in a city that wants to shine, or are an avid traveler, we’d love to collaborate! We’re keen on discovering unique destinations and showcasing what makes them special. Contact us HERE or email Travel@metziahs.com
